Spell Scrolls: Viable character trait?

[Nagog]

So I was watching The Witcher movie that dropped on Netflix a while back and had the idea planted to make an Eldritch Knight that's also the party's spellcasting expert. It's difficult to do in practice, but I think I'd like to do it in a way that utilizes spell scrolls frequently enough to give a bit of full caster vibe, while also mixing in some gritty, almost vancian magic to it. Is there a way to make stockpiling spell scrolls or using spell scrolls (with the Int check to use them) easier? I plan on this character being full EK with the Ritual Caster feat, but I'm willing to dip a few levels here and there to enhance the flavor.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Honestly, the easiest way might be to take however many EK levels you need to replicate the physical half of your build, then just go straight wizard and fluff the material components to your spells as scrolls. Also has the benefit of letting you use the Ritual Caster feat to tie to a non-wizard class like cleric, expanding your suite of accessible spells.

[Amnestic]

Star Druid 2's Starry Form means you can't roll below a 10 on any Int/Wis/Con checks, which would include scroll uses, so 10+IntMod guaranteed as long as you've got a wild shape to burn.

[Nagog]

Honestly, the easiest way might be to take however many EK levels you need to replicate the physical half of your build, then just go straight wizard and fluff the material components to your spells as scrolls. Also has the benefit of letting you use the Ritual Caster feat to tie to a non-wizard class like cleric, expanding your suite of accessible spells.

With the games I play in usually ending before level 10, this build won't get access to the spells I'd want scrolls for before the end of the game. Honestly the spells I'd want to invest in are the spells that specifically counter harder encounters: Stuff like a scroll of Banishment for Nightwalkers and other problematic extraplanar threats, various Wall spells that can make a very difficult encounter much more manageable, and stuff like that. So far I'm toying with the idea of dipping 2 into Divination Wizard to have a few Portents I could use to ensure the spell scroll works, but so far I haven't found/thought of anything that makes actually acquiring those scrolls any easier.

[Nagog]

Star Druid 2's Starry Form means you can't roll below a 10 on any Int/Wis/Con checks, which would include scroll uses, so 10+IntMod guaranteed as long as you've got a wild shape to burn.

This is a great idea, I hadn't thought of that! It also opens up the Druid spell list to get scrolls of, even if it makes the build a bit MAD

[Kuulvheysoon]

With the games I play in usually ending before level 10, this build won't get access to the spells I'd want scrolls for before the end of the game. Honestly the spells I'd want to invest in are the spells that specifically counter harder encounters: Stuff like a scroll of Banishment for Nightwalkers and other problematic extraplanar threats, various Wall spells that can make a very difficult encounter much more manageable, and stuff like that. So far I'm toying with the idea of dipping 2 into Divination Wizard to have a few Portents I could use to ensure the spell scroll works, but so far I haven't found/thought of anything that makes actually acquiring those scrolls any easier.

That's the problem with this build in 5E. The available Spell Scrolls are utterly dependent on the whims of your DM. You can try to convince your DM to lift the specific ban on spell scrolls with the Artificer's Replicate Magic Item infusion, but there's no specific mechanic to create spell scrolls in the game with enough frequency to come anywhere close to approach even a pseudo-full caster.

Other than that... bake your DM cookies and give them the puppy dog eyes for enough scrolls to make your concept work?

[SharkForce]

seems like the theme of the character could be made to work if you just introduced "scroll" as an arcane focus.

I mean, technically I'm fairly certain eldritch knights can't use one, since technically the ability to use an arcane focus instead of a spell component pouch requires a class feature that grants it...

but seeing as how it isn't exactly adding any power to the character, I'd allow it.

[Cybren]

Is Eldritch Knight mandatory or was it just what you were thinking of going with? If you were open to other options, a valor bard gets jack of all trades on the check. You can still take ritual caster (wizard) to make use of scrolls and spellbooks you come across.

[DwarfFighter]

If you take Ritual Caster Feat with the Cleric list, will you be able to use Cleric scrolls to cast spells, or must you first commit them to your Little book of rituals?

[Segev]

Thief Rogue gets Use Magic Device, if you want to go that way.

You could try to talk your DM into letting your Secret learned as a Hermit-background character be the ability to read and use any scroll.

You could play a Warlock and take a custom Invocation for universal scroll use: use Eyes of the Rune Keeper, Book of Secrets, or both as prerequisites.

Make a custom feat, perhaps: Magical Tool Expert, +1 to a mental stat of your choice, and the ability to use wands, staves, and scrolls as if you were an appropriate spellcaster.

[Bobthewizard]

I think your concept is better done with mostly wizard instead of Eldritch Knight. I'd just take one level of fighter for armor, maybe go variant human for the Tough feat, or hill dwarf for +1 HP. Then go wizard all the way, flavoring booming blade as just hitting someone really hard. Fluff all the spells as scrolls as suggested above. After level 5 or 9, you could take your second level of fighter for action surge.

[Segev]

I think your concept is better done with mostly wizard instead of Eldritch Knight. I'd just take one level of fighter for armor, maybe go variant human for the Tough feat, or hill dwarf for +1 HP. Then go wizard all the way, flavoring booming blade as just hitting someone really hard. Fluff all the spells as scrolls as suggested above. After level 5 or 9, you could take your second level of fighter for action surge.

If you go this route, bladesinger is an effort at a wizard gish.

[stoutstien]

So I was watching The Witcher movie that dropped on Netflix a while back and had the idea planted to make an Eldritch Knight that's also the party's spellcasting expert. It's difficult to do in practice, but I think I'd like to do it in a way that utilizes spell scrolls frequently enough to give a bit of full caster vibe, while also mixing in some gritty, almost vancian magic to it. Is there a way to make stockpiling spell scrolls or using spell scrolls (with the Int check to use them) easier? I plan on this character being full EK with the Ritual Caster feat, but I'm willing to dip a few levels here and there to enhance the flavor.

Yoy could alternatively just use the artificer class or the artificer initiate feat so you can cast all your spells with tools. Toss on a few of the other feats that grant spells and you could safely have enough casting to cover all the bases along side rituals.

[LibraryOgre]

Related: I made a Witcher background. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?606944-The-Witcher) And some basic alchemy rules (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?616034-Unchained-Alchemy), to let you make those potions Geralt quaffs.

[Kane0]

So I was watching The Witcher movie that dropped on Netflix a while back and had the idea planted to make an Eldritch Knight that's also the party's spellcasting expert. It's difficult to do in practice, but I think I'd like to do it in a way that utilizes spell scrolls frequently enough to give a bit of full caster vibe, while also mixing in some gritty, almost vancian magic to it. Is there a way to make stockpiling spell scrolls or using spell scrolls (with the Int check to use them) easier? I plan on this character being full EK with the Ritual Caster feat, but I'm willing to dip a few levels here and there to enhance the flavor.

Ritual caster sounds like a must, but the kicker is getting the scrolls. Maybe you could convince your DM that the X savant from Wizard subclass level 2 cpuld help with scribing scrolls, invest in artificer levels or both.